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Sleuth Has Adventure With Carload of Be%mies3^See Page 14 There is a pathetic side to vaudeville. Bert Levy, the cartoonist, who has been entertaining San Francisco audiences, draws it and describes it in The Sunday Catt/l VOLUME Ct— NO. 116. Boodle Board Born A new Dismisses Ruef 's Man Friday Grafters Made Overtures to Third Phome Company VISION OF DEED BRINGS FIEND TO CONFESS MURDER Erland Soderberg, Gripped by Horror, Admits He Slew Mother GIVES GORY DETAILS Throws Parent Down After Quarrel and Cuts Her Throat FAINTS BESIDE BODY Stows Dread Object in a Closet Upon Recover ing His Senses OAKLAND. March 26.— At 12:30 o'clock this morning, after four hours of sweating at the hands of Detectives Hodglcins and Flynn, Er land H. Soderberg confessed to the cold-blooded and brutal murder of his aged mother. Mrs. Martha EL Soder berg, in the kitchen of their home at 463 B street. North Oakland, on Saturday night. It was ..a vision of liis crime that i-ame to him as officers of the law narrated . the awful deed that brought the talofrom from the cowering crim inal. With horror clutching at hi* heart he told it all. Dazed with the thought of his deed the young stevedore described the crime— as ghastly, as horrible as any ever perpetrated. "YES I KILLED HER" '•yes. J killed her." he said at last, broken by the rolentloss cross-que* tiouine: of the 'detrrtivo!', after they l;a<1 pictured the bloody deed. "h came home Saturday niprht about twenty minutes after 7 o'clock," he contln*-d. "and stayed around the hou.-ic all trie evening. About 9 o'clock I had a dispute with my mother. She was aJw-aysi nagpring at me for more money, and told me that I did r.ot give hr:r cno<igh. I called, her names, and we had a terrible qu.'irrel. T became po angry that I did not know what I was doing. I grabbed her by the shoul ders, t-hook her end threw her to the kitchen floor. She scream*-*! for help. 1 choked her. "Then I grabbed a email kitchen knife that was lying on the table. I hacked at her throat, then slashed it, and the blood spurted out op me. She struggled frajiticrfily and T cut her several times In the abdomen and on the leg. "Then I fainted away. "Wnen I came to I wa* lying In a pool of. blood, and her dead body was lying beside me. "I picked the body up, , got some towels, washed the "blood off it as much as I could, wrapped Jt in blankets and rtood it up in the closet. SLEPT SOUIVTJ LV A KTEHWA RD "Then I cleßnea the blood from my own clothes, mopped up the floor, lit a fire In the stove, burned up the towels and went to bed. "I slept soundly all night long and. in fact, overslept an hour Sunday morn ing-. I was* supposed to be up at haJf r»ast 6, but I did not wake up till half past 6, when I frot my breakfast and went over to the city to my work as usual." _ This borrlbl* confession of the gr*w i«om* matricide cam« at the endof, t dramatic recital" of^ttae crime as the detectives imagln«d It. After hours of queFtlonin? and crossquesUonlns b&4 failed to rorce Soflerbers: Into V con fession, Hodgkins and Flynn turned -.to trie young "prisoner and told him the «tory of the , murder an they conceived it, a«Bnrlnfr him that they had proof to PubstaAtiate the facts and send him to the fraJlows. Sod erbers: listened nrr\'OUßb', twftch- Inir from Hde. to side" as the recital progressed, but 'there was no slgrn of hysterla,"no evidence of sorrow for^the deed he had done. The detectives had practically de- Kpaired of Becuring'\a confession by the time the story was ended and they knew- there vti no eye-wltness,- and !t w«s a trapric climax trhen the boy finally looked up and said: •1 did it." The San Francisco Call. INDEX OF THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL'S NEWS TODAY TELEPHONE TEMPORARY Sfl TUESDAY, MARCH 26. 1907 WEATHER CONDITIONS YESTERDAY — lUin; »«xinsoin temperature, 60; Tnlnlmnm trmperatorr, 54. FORECAST TOR TODAY— Cloudr; possibly light «ho»rerB; cool In the taornias; li;ht north west trind. *- Page 8 EDITORIAL 6an Francisco Is nmJerjoins or about to under go forrrnment by committee. .-. P«*e 6 Too mucb prosperity breeds cold fret. Pare C It Is do looser a qwstlon of bow mucb has be rot. but bow did be get it? " Pa«e 6 GRAFT SCAXDAI/ Grand Jury heart about attempt to bold up United Statei Independent Telephone Com pany. - '. • Pa*e 1 A. K. Detwiler. inilietrd telephone magnate, rrssalus In biding and Toledo Hisiws* asso ciates make plans to protect bis San FrMnciuro francbUe. Ptr« I Board cf Superrisors. actine under sbadoTr of bif stick, drop Myrtlle Orf and - Alexander O'Grady from the city ' 6 payroll. Pa.*« I Buperrlsors, in «ll?regard of protent tbtt paper fcas not legal circulation, award printing contract to Tost. Far« 2 Abe Ruef* •-t:od<-n defire to nt.in'l trial in restaurant cases is prompted by- some- one blghcr up. " 7 "'; P«r« 2 Judge Dunne, annouueioj; bir loss of confi dence In tbe prubalion law, orders fuat tiTe yoang e-ffendcrs muct stand trial. Pa*e 14 Drunken tuon in Spanish lodging-bouse shoots bellicose intruder and tronads another man with a eword. \u25a0 . \u25a0 Fagre 14 Hugh G^ Sbaug. orgauiser of the railwar mail clerks, <H»a)!s*ed fruoi postal ferric*. Pas« 9 ; Superri*or« «3pc!de to ren»o»e tbe restriction on ; j tLe bciri't of CUkk A builditi;*. - Page 8, \u25a0 ' Suj»rri«>rs are urged to rescind trolleT prirl • le?e of Unlt»»d Hailroadz and not to grant j franchise .for crcsstotm" l!n<*. . ?a*« 14 1 li.' X. -Ryan, well-known railroad niaosger. ' <llrs at !i]k liotue in Oakland after a lingering illue«>. Page^lJ, Emporiusn closes deal for a new building on. \u25a0the old «Ue. ' ss ' i -"-' • -Paa;«-* SUBURB AX \^ ErUad Sodrrberg coofff«» njurder ef age^ raotber in ' Oakland. - - P*r» 1 VToPteni r«iific arid- Southern Pacific • r»ich an amicable settlement in the fight of Gonld crowd for franchises along southern shore ''of Oakland water-front. * . • Page 4 AJamcda County Soi>erTisors clash orer <roe»- Uon cf bear 7 cxpenditnree ,t«T roads. ' Pa.fe-4 Yontb charged with robbery .ef .fire, men In Oakland saloon acts as bis own tttorney: at pre liminary examination. ' - .- \u25a0', Page 4 Mrs. Myra Darden'i plea for^ temporary. •!'\u25a0 many . denied by Judge Waste. Par« 4 A. C ' Bartlett, \u25a0 « cnceescful Chicago business main, tells State Unirewlty students that pres ent-day ptatidards in the " world of trade, are blgh and tbat sra f ( api»ar« tbe ronre bideous becam«e it stand* vnt yirldly. against , » back ground of honesty. Hi Ptpe 9 SuTsiaenio HiTcr islands CooJcd by tee breaking vt l»t«i jNI rieb farm lsndt -lairjige.! to the exteW cf roiUJons. y Page 3 DOMESTIC Peiree evplainr why be •hsred San' Franci«co •bip^wDTii a fee wiiile rTrenenUng ' th»m . and tbe Government at Tb» ilsgo". . Fag« 5 Member* of tbe Thaw jury bellere White's f Uyer to be f»dp at : \u25a0 tb«» present time, P»*e 5 Western psscenger officials object to »l"wrr train time. ' Page 6 Rnomanisn Gorcrnment blames ISusiis ' for agrarien riot^. .. ••% Pa** 6 -Fra ur^ order* tr*«ps to Morwco and demands full satisfaction • for tbe ansisslnatlon ff- Df. Slaucbamp. 'Page S SPORTS Bolonwn wins * nose rictory \u25a0 orer the badly ridden Supreme Court' at EroeryTHl*". .Page 8 ' English fpn r t«n» > n belleTe "Gurner" Mot r can bold bis . own with any b»arywelght In America.. .Pag* • Manager ]>>ng turns down tbe blg-I'agse aspira tions of Oafiln, Berrod and Schofi«ld. Pag« 8 . rope-Hartford-oidMnoblle. . r»re fr<nn . tos - An- Sflw to Sao Fr»D<if«ro f«r KJf>oo • s|<je will fy> etaried rm Thursday. Tigt 8 Dlek'Hylcod « 4 to 5 farorlte OT»r-Tnnmpsnn for tonlgbt'i twenty-roand boxing contesL P.. S LABOR Coolre*. CnJ"t) Nn." 44 to. rot' on 'an important •m^ndment - at next . regular meeting. , Page 7 MARINE „, •\u25a0•'• v ~-' • ... I- ' Treasury . Department will ' ».««n<l six rerenue euttm this *etM»n; to prrtent seal poiehln- In Berfajs Sea; tbe naty, will send It* crnieer* end Japan and Itumia- will . t^oC two . erufwr* each. Page 9 MIXING Condition nf Eutira m»n»j markets glres rife t" ftelllng orders fnr Nernda mining ; shares awl price*' t*lW . ' l Pag* 7 SOCIATj , . <^ Wedding of Prof ew>"r \u25a0 Jerome Landfleld and rrlnresß Mcba . Lob&Boff-Rcs{OTrkr is celebrated a.t- Canset in elaborate 'msnnnr. Page 6 'THE £M-L$ BRANCH OFFICES Subscriptions and Advertise-" ments will be received in San Francisco at folio wing of f ices: * IKI FILLMORE STREET Open " until ' 10 j o'clock " every" night. 818 VA!f NESS ; AVBNUB ' Parent's . Stationery..' Store. ; SIXTEENTH « AND r MABKBT STS. : , ' • - Jtckson's • Branch. S3S HJUGHT STREET Christian's \ Branch. \u25a0 ; .-: 108«;-.T r Ai.BNCTAi STRKBtI;'- ' - Rothschild's \u25a0 Branch."'^.:. ; 1-'"ibsi. church: street _-', - ;. > v Geort:e ; Prewitf s Branch. *200"FILL.MORB STREET Woodward's , Branch. \ :san;;frA^ Yesterday's Developments in teh Graft Situation 1. Witness testifies that: Ab^ companitei^as^ic^ 2. Louis Glass- arrested -upon arrival -frtmi Sacramento by Sheriff: O'Neill, but later released, on bonds. : v 'v 3. '' Supervisors, acting under, the big < stick; cut C erf and O'Grady; Ruef henchmen, from \ the city payroll.} ; Detwiler Hides on His Way West Plans to j Saye SPECIAL/ DISPATCH TO IjHE TOLEDO^Qhio, Marcli^2s:^Allsorts;of rumors-are;iu circulation hercltomghfcas^to" the whereabouts; of j\ . fc: Detwiler ? the wealthy Toledaii who; is-iudictedCoii thir-l teen counts f or >b r i bery \u25a0 at • Sa n \u25a0 Franci sco, but thus; far ho tangible clewrhas)beeii{ob^ taineoV thafemighfe^ It is stillstouti\^mamteinbd by" his ibVo'thci^i George jK^D^ in^tliis city; last Friday. haTinfflarrived at 2 :30 p^ m : from /N e w rkl anti^ l^avi^gl for. the' West at 7 o'clock the same, 'evening; Purthei\ sthel brotheVisay stthe^indicted inagT; CONTIJVtTED <{.V- PAGE^.^COLUMWi* Gathering 'Em Up Ax Drops and Myrtile Cerf Loses Easy Job When BigfStibk Swings- 1 ; Under; thcT^hadow of t the^big (stick and after; tHeirovholesale confessions^; no longer i ring: th e ? seiryiceslof ;^^JsimplyJvbe^ cause >iHeU know t^;in)ich, .the, Board vof [Supervisors |tuoii s , ec onbirry: Sy e&terday^ ] anH^epariated :Ruef^smaJi#nd^^Mvrtil^ ander O'Gracly from the city's .payroll. { Cerf,!'because"of tlie- favor of 'the Ciirly Boss, has drawn $300 a month as chief of .with au outraged -public,- took a second rap cowTiinrBlS|roxfPA6i^^co^TOiytJ»;AyDcr •4i '. Abram Ky Detwiler, millionaire, indicted for bribing Supervisors, goes into hiding oh way West from Toledo. \ 5.^ City^Attorney ßurke offers to co-operate with Langdon in attack" \- ing legality of franchises secured through bribery. 6. M^ en behind Ruef see k to check bribery exposures by diverting at tention to the French resta urant cases. United States Corporation Offered Hold=Up Franchise Petail& Told to G^and Jury Testimony given before the Grand -Jury yesterday showed that after Ruef and his coin hungry Board of Supervisors had pouched the bribes handed out for fran chiseslyy the Pacific States and Home Telephone com panies they, were preparing to sell the City a third time "to the United States Independent Telephone jCompany. A;a Samuel Jacoby, agent of the United States Inde pendent! Company, contributed " this and other testimony against \u25a0Riief- and the Supervisors. - aiV The-tjompany Jacoby represents did not take the ini tiatiyeUn \u25a0: she: proposed steal. That, as in most of the other big - corporation- ti^rnsscti<sns , which debauched the Supervisors^ iwas' the work of < Ruef; '/. ; •:. Willing J to -pay the city what-it deemed a fair price for securing Ja franchise/ the United States Independent <Comp^^'l^d^not\i)een;;lpng; in the field before it learned ,tliat-;tHe; privilege bad been secured > irregularly by the HomelGpmpany and that it would beQuseless to compete .with the : influences then existing. FIGURED^ FRANCmSE WORTH $1,000,000 Dr. Ferdinand Butterfield, who was intrusted "vrith the , mission of securing -the franchise for the United States Independent, Company, estimated that it would be worth at least $1,000,000 to the municipality. He knew from experience that " the bidding of competitors bad forced the price of the Home Gompany:s franchise in Oak land^to $35,000 and in .\u25a0'Berkeley"^ to $48,000., On this basis, Butteriield^reckoned that; $1,000,000 was a very reason ablei'estimate for the privilege in San Francisco — a muni cipality which ; was essential to the success of a large com pany, operating on the Pacific Coast and which was regarded by competing telephone corporations as being the key to their proposed' field of enternrise: "VTOen Butterfield'finally learned that the Home Com pany was getting its franchise in San .Francisco, for $100,000 ;he was appreciably suprised, until he received a letter frohi Ruef making definite overtures to him about Jike pHyileges that could be secured by the United States IndeiDendent; Company . , Jacoby, as "outside man of the company, was acquaint ed with" the contents of this letter from Ruef and in the coiirsei)f ;time came into possession "of all the plans out lined by the latter. . NOXD^ICULTY, IS RUEF'S ASSURANCE j Ruef "gave • positive assivrance that there would be no • The UniteckStates Independent. Company- was ex ceedingly anxious for the franchise, but it refused -to do •business&vitli^Ruef, *;aiid>the':negbtiatibns;\nili:lim':eixded Ruef ; s name figured >re^eatedly in the questions fired at Jacoby ;before the Grand .Jury yesterday. Jacoby f s te*stimpny;cbyere'd more than 'twenty pages of typewritten^ \u25a0-manuscript; .and it was : announced by -the graft pros ecutors last r mght that it went a long, way toward further Company, ; bankers and brokers of Los Angeles, who handled the securities of the^ Home Tele^oneCcoiipany, was 'another^ witness before the Grand Jury yesterday. Heney aiidXiangdon^questroned:^A<3ams rclosely'about Det >^er^s^c6imections j with ; th^fcorppratipn and about the J. Can we .talk with the dead ? Dr. Isaac X: -Funk's startling opinions, --after an investigation of. years, are set forth^in ah article to appear in The Sunday Call PRICE FIVE CENTS. CONTINUED-- OX fPAGiti" 2, COLUMNS 1 AND J